Can't Touch Me
by CinnaminthePikachu
Summary: On a regular exploration outside the walls of Maria two soldiers of the Survey group find something far from normal; A girl that the Titan's don't seem to care about. They decide to take her back to the walls and encourage her to enrole in the military. Soon she becomes an excellent fighter, one that can't be touched. (This story is parallel to the Anime, mainly OCs)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Darrin pushed his horse ahead, dirt flying as he went as fast as he could. Beside him rose his fried, Thorin. Darrin peered over his shoulder to see a massive Titan chasing them. He gritted his teeth. At this rate it'd catch up. He never thought it'd be so fast. Thorin looked at Darrin.

"What do we do? We're too far from the formation so we can't get help," he wondered. Darrin looked past the Titan as the green smoke that was far away and fading away. He looked ahead and saw something. It was a small building with a huge oak tree towering high above it. Darrin smiled and readied his 3D Maneuver gear.

"Aim for that tree, it'll be easier to attack it from up there," he explained. Thorin looked at the tree and smiled. Darrin launched the grips on his gear and waited till they latched into the tree. He was instantly pulled off the horse and into the tree. He pulled himself onto a branch. Thorin followed his lead and pulled himself onto another. Unfortunately they were as higher than the Titan, but they were higher than before. Darrin launched the grips again as they pierced the Titan's shoulder. He swung down from the tree and up near the back of the Titan's neck. He quickly pulled out his blades and swung them at the nape of its neck. The hunk of flesh fell to the ground and the Titan fell. Darrin hopped off it and looked at Thorin.

"And that's the end of that," he smirked. Thorin came down and looked at the house. He saw the fabric curtains in the building suddenly close. His eyes widened.

"There's someone in there!" he exclaimed. Darrin walked over to the door and knocked on it. "Hello?" There was silence. He opened the door since it was unlocked. The building was fairly clean and well kept. It obviously hadn't been sitting for long. The gently wafting of a just-used fire floated through the building with the additional sent of cooked meat.

Darrin stepped in and looked around. "It's alright," he comforted, "We won't hurt you." Just then someone walked out of a room. It was a girl, a teenage girl at that. She was dressed in hand-made garbs made from scraps of old clothing. Her hair was fairly long, but was probably kept at that length with a knife. She touched her brown hair and pulled it in front of her.

"Who are you?" she asked. Darrin put his swords away and approached her.

"My name is Darrin Forester, I'm a part of the Survey group," he explained. She girl shuffled.

"You mean that huge group of people that pass her sometimes?" she asked. Darrin was surprised; had she never heard of the Survey Group. He looked around.

"How long have you been here?" he asked. He had never heard of anyone living outside the walls. If it had only been a few days it'd be impressive with all the Titans around. The girl walked closer to him.

"Me? I've been here for five or six years," she replied. Both Thorin and Darrin were surprised. Five years? That was insane for any level of the Survey group, but for a normal person it was unbelievable. He looked outside.

"How did you survive with the Titan's around?" he asked. This was most curious; rather she was lying or she was something more than he thought. She walked past him and Thorin then outside. She looked over to where the Titan once stood.

"How? Simple, they don't care about me," she murmured. Thorin walked over to Darrin.

"She might be making it up, we should probably take her back into the city walls," he offered. Darrin rubbed his chin. He was right, and if Titans really didn't care about her she'd make a great soldier. He walked out and over to her.

"How would you like to come with us? We can take you somewhere safer than here with easy access to food, water, and clothes," he offered. The girl looked at her roughly made dress. She turned to them.

"That'd be nice," she agreed. Darrin whistled for their horses and watched them run over. He stroked its dark coat before pulling himself on. He offered a hand to the girl.

"You can ride with me," he told her. She grabbed his hand and he pulled her up. She sat in front of him and he held his arms around her, grasping the name and keeping her steady. Thorin pulled himself onto his horse and saw in the distance green smoke.

"Come on, we might be able to catch up with them if we hurry," he stated. Darrin pulled over to him and the two got their horses running towards the smoke. They needed to get as closed as they could. It was hard enough to fight with two new recruits, it would be harder with the girl. They just prayed that they wouldn't run into many Titans.

It took a while but soon they were close to the group. There was a lot of smoke, most of it was red. They were obviously engaged in battle. Darrin cussed a bit, knowing this would be troublesome. Thorin looked around, wanting to be sure there were no Titans attacking them. He wanted to be ready for them.

Just then another Titan appeared. Thorin knew he'd have to fight it on his own. Luckily it was only a 4-meter class so it wouldn't be too much work. He launched himself off the horse, using his maneuver gear to attach himself to the Titan. He started to swing when the Titan suddenly grabbed him. He felt his heart throb; he was dead, there was no doubt about it. Darrin looked at him.

"Thorin!" he exclaimed as he turned the horse. He had to help. Suddenly the girl grabbed two of his spare blades and hopped off the horse. She dashed off to the Titan quickly, taking Darrin by surprise. Was she insane? She didn't have a maneuver gear; she was going to get herself killed!

The girl jumped up and stabbed the Titan's arm. She quickly began using the blades to climb the Titan. The strangest thing was that the Titan didn't care about her. It wasn't that is was focused on Thorin, it just didn't care about the girl. Soon she made it to the top and jumped behind it. Quickly she cut deep into its name, notching out its flesh. The Titan released Thorin and topped over. Darrin lead his horse over and caught the girl. Thorin used his maneuver gear to swing from the Titan to his horse. He looked at the girl surprised. She sat back down the way she was before and slid the blades back into the gear.

"There, that wasn't hard," he smiled. Darrin were awestruck. He never saw anyone take out a Titan without a maneuver gear. Even more so he never saw a Titan ignore someone like that. He looked at Thorin who was still a little shaken but alive. He then looked at the girl. So many questions danced about his head. What was she? How did she know to attack the nape? How did she climb the Titan with no fear? He was so curious it was hard to decide what to ask first. He shook his head. _I can ask questions later, right now we have to stay with the team_, he thought.

The three went back to the group. Often the girl would take Darrin's spare blades and right the Titan. Many members were amazed and confused. She was a good fighter and didn't seem afraid of anything. However, even with their help, they were losing too many fighters and had to retreat back to Maria's walls. The girl seemed so at ease with everything, even watching people die didn't seem to faze her. She was so bizarre, even for being 18. Both Darrin and Thorin were 19 and it was hard to watch people die. But the way she looked at the walls showed she hadn't seen them before. The walls were hundreds of years old; she said she'd been out here for five years. For those other thirteen years, where had she been?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The group began entering the walls of Maria. The numbers had decreased drastically. Darrin's heart ached for all his lost comrades. So many people he had gone to school with, he had graduated with and worked with were gone in an instant. The people looked so excited to see the Survey group, but he couldn't even bare to look at them. They didn't know the hells beyond the wall. He looked at the girl who was curiously looking at all the people. She leaned forward and listened to everything they said. It was so new; she'd never been near this many people before. She looked at Darrin to see how sad he looked. The moods were so different; the joy of the people and the sorrow of the soldiers. Was this the world she had missed?

There was a commotion with one of the men to the side. He was yelling about something, the soldier on his knees in front of a woman with tears heavy in his eyes. The woman had an arm in her own arms, tears also dotted in her eyes. The girl felt her stomach turn. Death to her was natural, so she never thought much of it. Be the sight of those affected by death was what got to her. She never saw it happen before, though she had witnessed death many times but never the people who lost it.

The group returned to the base. The girl felt so awkward, not really belonging. Darrin looked at everyone before steering his horse to the barns. Darrin slid off and helped the girl down. He then walked his horse into his stall and prepared it for its stay. The girl looked at all the soldiers, many glancing at her. She leaned against a post ant waited for Darrin to be ready. She didn't know what to do, really, she was use to being on her own, no one around her at all.

Just then a man walked into the barn. He stood very proper, legs out shoulder length apart. He had his arms crossed behind his back. "Soldier Darrin Forester!" he boomed. Darrin felt worry in his throat. He stepped out of the stall.

"Y-yes Sir?" he asked, trying to sound confident. The man strolled over to him. He pointed to the girl.

"Who is that?!" he snapped. Darrin looked at her then back at the man.

"It's a civilian Sir, we found her outside the walls!" he replied, getting his composure back. The girl was slightly confused. This man must have had more authority than Darrin, but she didn't know how much more. The man strolled over to her. She eyes him, taking in the details. He was tall and sturdy, probably a middle aged man. His hair was a deep brown and his eyes a chocolate colour. He looked very bitter with a large scowl on his face. He eyes her quickly.

"What were you doing beyond the wall?!" he barked. The girl instantly seized up.

"I-I was living!" she replied. She realized she kind of sounded like Darrin, minus the "Sir" part. The man laughed.

"What a fool, no one lives outside the walls, they die," he said pointedly. The girl shook her head.

"Not true, I have been living here for five years. I've watched this group pass outside my house and fight the Titans many times before. My family and I lived out there for years, we never knew of a sanctuary beyond walls, we never even knew these walls existed," she explained. Everyone in the stables stopped working and looked at her. Even the man looked shocked. Darrin rubbed the back of his neck, worried. The ma cleared his throat.

"What's your name girl?" he asked. The girl pulled some hair in front of her and stroked it.

"Elesian," she replied, "Elesian Mothropas." The man smiled than looked at Darrin.

"What do you plan to do with her?" he asked. He was about to say something when Elesian piped up again.

"I believe since I have my own mind I can decide for myself," she interrupted. The man looked at her slightly surprised.

"Alright Mrs Mothropas, what do you with to do?" he questioned. She smiled and stood her legs shoulder length apart, crossing her arms behind her back and looking up at him.

"I wish to join your fight with the Titans!" she replied. The man laughed at her. He obviously thought low of this messy girl with a big mouth. She shifted her jaw irritated. The man looked at everyone who was wide eyed.

"What are all you so shocked about? You don't think she can do it either?" he asked. Thorin stepped forward.

"I believe they think the opposite. She actually fought the Titans with us without the use of a maneuver gear. I believe enrolling her into the military and getting her to join the Survey Corps would be very beneficial, if it's not to bold to say to," he replied. The man looked at the girl who still stood. He turned.

"Well, I'll speak to the commander about this matter," he stated before leaving. Darrin walked over to Elesian. She looked at him.

"So, who was that?" she asked. Darrin widened his eyes.

"You mean you spoke to him like that even though you didn't know his position?" he asked. Elesian nodded. He sighed and ran his hand through his dirty blond hair. "He's the leader of my squad. In the Survey Corps we have smaller groups lead by a leader who report to the Commander. He has authority over anyone in his squad."

"So that's why you're scared of him," Elesian muttered. Darrin looked at her.

"I'm not scared of him; I scared of worst than him. He's got a harsh bark but he didn't get to be out leader by that. He's smart, sometimes, at least when we are in battle he is. He knows what needs to be done and he does it," he explained. It made sense to Elesian, plus he appeared to have the guts to do anything. That was important in a soldier. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up." Elesian nodded and Darrin lead her out of the stable. She was excited to see what would happen if she was allowed to join the Military. She loved the thrill of fighting, of scaling the massive creatures and protecting people. Perhaps it wasn't the fight she loved, but the thought of protection. That's what she wanted, to protect the world from all its fears, all its deaths.

"Do you think I'll get to be a soldier?" she asked. Darrin smiled.

"Anyone can try to be a soldier, the trick is making it through," he replied. Elesian smiled. This world appeared so new, but she wanted to protect it, protect it unlike when she failed to protect her parents.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Elesian looked around the town, curious. She hadn't really been near so many people, ever. She smiled and looked at Darrin.

"Is it always like this?" she asked. Darrin looked around.

"Yeah, people tend to move a lot in the city. It must be different from living in a house surrounded by nothing but Titans," hesitated. Elesian nodded and looked around. "Elesian, how did you survive all those years out beyond the wall? He asked curiously. Elesian's smile vanished. Her life beyond the walls.

"My mother and father lived out there, but they lived underground. I don't know much about how they got there but all I know is it was safer down there. As a child I grew up without sunlight. My mother said that's why my hair is so dark and my skin so pale. One day though, the cave collapsed and sunlight streamed in, it was so new, so wonderful. It warmed my skin and made me feel happy. But then it brought nothing but disaster," she muttered. Darrin had a good guess on what happened next.

"That was the first time you saw a Titan, wasn't it?" he asked. Elesian looked away.

"Yeah. My mother and father were terrified. I was so happy when I saw the light but then it was blocked. There was a face, a huge face staring down at us. My mother grabbed my hand and ran with me just as a hand reached down. My father wasn't so lucky. The hand grabbed him and he was devoured by that face. When we were in darkness my mother knelt down and told me to stay in shadows and run. The closer together we were the more likely they'd find us. She told me to stay hidden for as long as I could," she muttered. Darrin's eyes widened. She witnessed her father being eaten in front of her? That was an awful thought.

"How old were you?" he asked. Elesian looked at him.

"I was thirteen, and it still wasn't over. After my mother told me to run the ceiling crumbled again and she was grabbed too. Another face, another frightening face ate her too. It was bloodier though, probably because I was beneath her. I felt frozen, I couldn't move. The Titan stared at me and I thought I would die. Then, it just turned and left. It didn't want me, it didn't care. I left the shadows against my mother's will and saw them. There were so many, but none cared about me. They'd walk past me just like I was a doe or a tree. I meant nothing, and I thought I was nothing. I eventually searched out for a new home and found an old farm house. I cleaned it up and built up my hunting skills. I didn't fear the Titan's, mostly because they didn't want me," she finished. Darrin looked down. How would that feel? To watch your family devouring then being left alone for years. If it was him he's want to die too, but she had the will to survive. He looked back up at her.

"I can say I'm amazed. You truly are fearless," he stated. Elesian began laughing at him, taking him by surprise.

"Fearless? What do you think I am? I have fears, just like everyone, but I just fear different things. I don't fear the Titans, that's true, but I fear the dark, fear being closed off from the world and denied the light of joy," she stated gazing up at the sky. She watched birds flutter across the open air. "I've been so enclosed, so hidden, that I fear the thought of doing it again. I want freedom, freedom from my fears and death. Don't you want freedom?" Darrin was taken aback by that. Freedom? He never felt enclosed, but perhaps he just didn't think about it much. Maybe deep inside that's why he joined the Survey Corps, a deep internal desire for freedom. He wondered how many other people had this internal desire. He looked up at Elesian smiled. She chuckled.

"Really makes you think, doesn't it?" she asked. Darrin smiled and looked back at her.

"Yeah, it really does," he stated. Just then the sky lit up. Darrin looked at the sky. There was no clouds, no storm, so what was that flash. He heard a commotion on the wall.

"What's happening?" Elesian asked. Luckily Darrin hadn't had time to remove his 3D Maneuver gear. He readied it and looked at Elesian.

"Stay here!" he told her before launching the grips up the wall. He reeled himself up and grabbed the wall, pulling himself up. He then saw something he never thought he'd see. A Titan, stripped of it's skin and towering over the wall. His eyes widened as a new fear engulfed him. He watched it destroy the wall. He looked down to see the town in panic. Titans were flocking into the damaged wall and reaking havoc. Darrin was in a state of disbelief. The wall was destroyed, how could it be destroyed?

Darrin launched the grips and swung back down to Elesian. "The wall has been destroyed over there, I have to report this to the Corps if they don't already know," he muttered. "Stay away from the gates, people will be coming in. And don't tell anyone what's happening, they will find out eventually but we need to limit the panic," he explained. Elesian looked around.

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked "Why not leave me naive?" Darrin looked around.

"Because you don't know how things work, so any information I can give you will help," he replied before running off. Elesian stood there and fiddled with her hair. Was it going to be like this again? She wanted to help protect people, but how could she protect anyone if she was being confined. She bit her lip and closed her eyes. Had she really spent years watching the Survey Corps, watching them kill Titans, trying to do things just like them. She's learned from them, mimicked them, then was saved by them. She could fight but now she could only stand here and be told not to do anything. She closed her eyes. _I have to do something, I have to help_ she thought. But then again, she knew it was harder than that. Darrin's leader said he'd do something, but when? When would she be allowed to save people? She wanted to stop hiding in a house, waiting to do something. She wanted to be free, to free other. She closed her eyes and prayed that her life could change.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Elesian watched as all the refugees flock into Wall Rosa. They looked so scared, so scared, so shocked and overwhelmed. They had lost so much, some a family, some a home, some even lost both. The haunting memories they'll now have, Titan's killing and devouring loved ones and friends. Elesian knew only too well how it felt to have that happened. She took a deep breath and walked away, knowing that getting to close would only make things harder. She wanted to help but couldn't, for she was useless behind these walls.

"It's funny, I asked for freedom and instead am locked behind stone walls," she muttered to herself. She stopped in her tracks and closed her eyes, listening to the people around her. So many whimpers, so many pleas. Mommy, where are you? Where's my father?!They took my child! My home, my home, it's gone! Help us get home! I want to die. I want to live! Help us, help us, help us. Elesian felt her body tremble a bit. These cries, they are coming from victims who lost so much. A tear streaked her eye. _I want to help, please let me help_, she begged.

She ended up spending time with the refugees. She didn't have a home either, so she spent her time watching them mourn their losses and struggle for food. There wasn't enough for everyone to eat plenty. She felt as though she walked into a new hell, a hell where people suffer thanks to other people.

Just then she heard someone trotting over. She turned to see Darrin. She smiled and stood up. "Darrin! What's up?" she asked. He stopped beside her. He was still in his uniform just without his green cloak or 3D Maneuver gear. He didn't look to happy.

"We lost Wall Maria, so we have to try and manage everyone inside Wall Rosa," he muttered. Elesian didn't quite understand what he meant, but by his tone she figured it was a bad thing. It was a horrible time for her to decide to come into the walls, but at the same time she had the opportunity to help people by joining the military. She looked at all the people than Darrin.

"Is here any news on me joining the Military?" she asked. Darrin shook his head.

"We're a bi preoccupied with the matter at hand. As soon as things clear up though you can enroll for the training Squad," he replied. Elesian brightened up.

"That's awesome! I definitely will! But, what are you guys going to do about the wall?" she inquired. Darrin bit his lip and looked around to see who was listening.

"There's talk of them getting normal citizens to try and fight for the wall," he whispered. Elesian got excited.

"I can do that! I'll help them, I can fight the Titans!" She chirped. Darrin grabbed her arm and pulled her close. He whispered softly in her ear.

"It's a suicide mission." Her eyes widened. People were expected to die?! She pulled back in disbelief, trying to find words. Was this the life of people behind the walls, to serve the people up on a silver platter to the Titans, to watch them die for humanity? She took a deep breath.

"B-but why? Why would they do that?!" she said trying not to be too loud. Darrin adjusted his jacket and looked down.

"There isn't enough room or food for all the people, so this is meant to even things out," he replied. Elesian fought back her anger. It was despicable to do such a thing. He looked at her. "You can't tell anyone, though. I only told you because you can be a real good fighter for the military if you stay. If you die there we'll lose the chance at a good strong fighter." She looked down and closed her eyes. He was right, how could she protect people if she died? Fought tears and looked at him.

"A-alright, I won't tell anyone," she whispered. Darrin nodded.

"Alright, I have to head back to the Corps, I'll see you later," he concluded before taking off. Elesian sat there, her heart in pieces. She wanted to protect people but she couldn't even do that. She hoped people would see the truth behind the mission.

Soon, the mission was announced. People quickly flocked for the chance to regain their land. Mothers, fathers, uncles, everyone was there. The group was large, and they were all going to die. She stood alone behind the group, watching people say good bye with smiles, telling their loved ones they'll be back. She felt tears swell her eyes as parents hugged their children. She began trembling.

"Don't go," she whispered as they began leaving the gates. "I-it's suicide." Her words were unheard to everyone. She promised not to tell them, but every piece of her regretted that promise. She should have told them, told them to stop or they'll die. Then she closed her eyes.

No, they knew this would happen. Many left, perhaps all knowing they'd die. They were doing it for their loved ones, so they'll be fed and can live happily. She wrapped her arms around her body. How could people do that, walk into a battle promising death?

Soon the battle was over, and the death toll was high. She walked through the tears of lost ones. The moon shown down on the darkness below. She peered around a corner to see three children, one on the ground clasping a straw hat, tears heavy on his face. Two boys, one girl, all alone. She trotted away, unable to stand the sight. Children alone, like she was alone. _I want to stop this_ she thought. That had been on her mind for so long yet every chance she had she was denied. _Why can't I stop this?_ She wondered.

She heard footsteps behind her and saw Darrin behind her again. She looked away, unable to bear the thought of what he had stopped her from doing. He placed his hand on her shoulder and she looked back at him.

"You're patience has paid off, my leader wants to talk to you," he told her. Just hearing that made the sorrow that much less. Finally, she wasn't being held back. Darrin lead her through town and towards the Survey Corp's head quarters. She was both excited and nervous as she was taken into a room. There stood the man, Darrin's leader. He looked out the large glass window towards the town. He turned to Elesian.

"Ah, I'm glad to see you are here," he said softly. Darrin left the two alone to speak leaving her more nervous. The leader smiled a bit. "I was curious about you, wondering what the soldiers saw that I didn't. Apparently you killed Titan's without a 3D maneuver gear, and they never attacked you. I first thought they were mistaken but after hearing it enough I became curious." The man walked over to her. "So I ask you this, who are you and how do you know how to kill Titans?" She shifted a bit.

"I'm human just like you. I can't explain why the Titans don't come after me for even I don't know. However I can answer your question about my abilities. For the past five years I have observed the Survey Corps and learned from their actions. For the past four years I've practiced those techniques myself, using an old sword I found in a barn. I admit, it was hard, but I've learned lots from those years," she explained. The leader looked surprised by this.

"Why fight them, they don't attack you," he added.

"Why do you seek the titans beyond the wall? For you, it may be curiosity, or a will to be stronger. I am not you, though, for I don't do it for those reasons. I've spent years watching people die by the hands of the titans, but no more. I learned to kill them so I could one day protect those people. One day I planned to leave my home and help your Corps, the people that passed by me often, fighting and dying," she explained.

"But why fight for people you don't know?" he questioned. Elesian simply smiled.

"Sir, I must ask, who do _you _fight for?" she asked. The man was taken back.

"Well, we fight for the people that reside within the walls."

"Do you know them?" she inquired, "Do you know the name, the history, the life of each person? You most likely don't, no one can know that much. So you too fight for people you don't know. You speak to me as though we are different, but we all fight for the same thing. Why worry about my reasoning and my training when we both want an end to the Titans? I wish to fight, fight to end the suffering and end the pain, so I ask you let me fight for the people sir!" Elesian brought her feet shoulder length apart, arms crossed behind her back. The leader smiled and walked over to a table. He wrote something down.

"I cannot directly put you into a squad, but I can enroll you into the training squad. From there your own will and determination will decide if you can be a part of the military," he told her. Elesian couldn't help but smile. A chance was better than nothing. The leader finished righting then stood up and looked at her stance."And if you are to be a soldier, you must learn to properly salute." He quickly brought his feet together, pressing his right hand over his heart and the other behind his back. Elesian nodded and copied his Salute. She would become a soldier; nothing would stand in her way.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Elesian stood with all the other Trainees. She had her arms folded behind her back as she proudly wore her uniform. She decided to braid her long hair over her shoulder instead of cutting it like many female soldiers. She was excited for her first day of training, ready to learn everything she'd need to be a soldier. Her heart throbbed with excitement. It was hard to believe two days ago she had been with the leader of Darrin's squad, telling him her wishes and ways.

She watched as one man was yelling at a ton of students, many of them being scared mindless. He scanned over ones that appeared hardened already. They were stone hard, faces ready to fight. She didn't know if her face looked the same, she didn't think of herself as "hardened" or "tough." She decided to just wait and watch as the man went down the line. He stopped at one girl, a pretty little thing. She seemed almost like a china doll with her soft porcelain skin and straight beach blond hair. It had been pulled apart into two low pigtails that rested gently on her shoulders. It was short, but not too short, a cute, beautiful length. She didn't look like a soldier, hence why the man might have been praying on her.

"What is your name?!" he snapped. She girl looked nervous as she tried to hold a strong face. Elesian could see the sweat building on her face.

"Sillis Heatherfield!" she replied. She man eyed her, face cold as ice.

"Why do you want to join the army?" he barked. The girl swallowed back her fear, obviously nervous beyond all belief.

"To help aide in the fight against the Titans!" she exclaimed. The man grabbed her head and pulled it closed.

"Is that so? You thing a fragile little flower like yourself can make it up against monsters like them?! You won't last a minute in the battle! Might as well throw yourself out on a silver platter!" He barked. The girl pressed her eyes closed.

"I am strong! I can fight!" she countered. The man began shaking her.

"You're as weak as a clay pot!" he snapped. The girl was losing her strong footing and he pulled her head around. Elesian couldn't watch someone abuse her like that.

"Hey!" she snapped. The man stopped and looked at her. She quickly looked forward, realising she shouldn't fight her superiors like that. The man released the girl and she fell over. He then strolled over to Elesian. Elesian maintained her sturdy pose, keeping a straight face. Inside, though, she was filled with worry and regret.

"What's your name girl?" he asked. Elesian looked him in the eye.

"Elesian Mothropas," she replied. The man eyed her then locked with her gaze.

"Where are you from Ms Mothropas?" he interrogated. Elesian thought back to a conversation she had with Darrin's leader. _You must not tell anyone that you are from beyond the wall, nor can you tell them what the Titan's think of you. It may cause panic or distress._ Elesian bit her lip.

"I am not allowed to say Sir!" She stated. The man narrowed his eyes, definitely not approving of her answer.

"Not allowed?" he asked. Elesian nodded. "Under whose authority?" Elesian had to dig for the name. He told her, she just didn't care to remember.

"Jota, from the Survey Corps!" she recalled. The man laughed and grabbed the collar of her jacket, pulling her close.

"You trying to tell me you know people from the Survey Corps?" he sneered.

"Yes sir, I know a few people!" She replied. The man threw her back. She quickly caught her footing and looked at him.

"Don't give me shit!" he snapped.

"I'm not giving you shit, sir, I'm giving you the facts!" She mocked. After she said that she bit her tongue, cursing herself in her mind for not thinking that through. The man looked pissed, like he'd gladly take her neck and snap it like a twig.

"I think you forget your position, trainee. I want you running laps until I can confirm your story!" he barked. Elesian groaned before going off to do her laps. She didn't want to, but she did deserve it. She needed to learn not to talk to people like that, _especially_ those with authority over her.

She ran for what felt like hours. She then heard something behind her and peered over her shoulder to see the girl from earlier. She instantly recognised her, Sillis.

"Wh-what are you running for?" she asked. Sillis looked at her and hurried to catch up.

"I'm running so you aren't so lonely," she replied. "And to thank you for stopping our instructor back there. I thought I was going to lose my head!" Elesian smiled a bit.

"Hey, it wasn't right to treat you that way," she cooed. Sillis nodded.

"A lot of people look down on me because I am so fragile looking. I'm quiet determined, though. I want to join the fight against the Titans," she added. Elesian looked ahead.

"I know Titans are dark, horrid creatures. Yet, people think I'm crazy for not fearing them," she muttered. Sillis looked a bit surprised, but then looked ahead.

"Maybe it's because you haven't met one face to face," she muttered. She quickly looked back at Elesian. "Unless you were in Wall Maria, which in that case I apologise for jumping to conclusions!" Elesian shook her head.

"No, I wasn't in Wall Maria, but I still know what Titans can do," she muttered. Sillis felt a bit awkward for bringing it up and the two went silent. Elesian looked ahead to see the man standing in her path. Beside him was Jota, someone she didn't expect to see. She stopped in front of them. Jota smiled.

"Hello Elesian, I came when I heard you and Shadis ran into a problem with where you came from I decided I best come clear it up," he cooed. He looked at Sillis, "If you wouldn't mind waiting for Elesian in the dining hall." Sillis nodded and trotted off. Elesian looked at Shadis.

"So, what did you tell him," she asked. She deep down inside hoped he didn't tell a lie, she didn't want to try and make up a life story to a high officer. Especially when she knew nothing about the inner walls.

"I told him the truth. You see I didn't expect Keith to ask you about where you came from, so when I gave you the order not to tell people I actually meant normal people. However, in this circumstance you couldn't exactly yell it out in front of the entire squadron. So we have spoken and decided he won't ask you about it in front of the trainees ever again," he explained. Elesian sighed.

"But!" Keith interrupted, "Don't you even talk to me like that again!" Elesian recalled her snarky remark. She bowed a little.

"Yes, I am very sorry, I should have thought through my words more carefully. I hope you forgive my rude behaviour," she said genuinely.

"Very good. Now, I must return to the squadron. We will be heading out again soon and I must be present. Hopefully you two can talk things out in privacy next time it occurs," Jota concluded. He turned and left Elesian and Keith together. Keith looked at her.

"You don't need to run anymore, I have confirmed your story. Go get yourself dinner than get ready for bed. Tomorrow the real training starts," he hissed before leaving. Elesian stood there for a moment, going through what happened. The Survey Squad was leaving gain? She closed her eyes and prayed that Darrin and Thorin would be alright.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Elesian looked up at the large structure in front of her. This was her first task; they'll raise her by the hips and she has to stay balanced. She hoped she could do it, she'd never done much balance work. She walked forward as it was her turn and strapped in. She looked at the student operating the machine and nodded, ready to go. She looked ahead to see Sillis waiting for her. Elesian was getting along well with her, they were really bonding. She smiled a bit as she was slowly pulled up. She realized how quickly she lost the solid ground and began panicking.

Then, she flipped. Backwards head plant into the ground. She winced a bit as the lowered her. She hadn't been up for even 30 seconds and she was down. She knew this would be problematic. Sillis trotted over and helped get her out of the harness.

"That's alright, it's the first try. You'll do it eventually," she beamed. Elesian smiled and stood up, walking away so Sillis could have her turn. Sillis quickly strapped in and signalled the student to raise her. Sillis held her arms out, slightly bent, ready to use them as counter weights. As she rose she rocked a bit but by quickly moving her arms into a good position she balanced out. And there she was, floating in the air, well balanced. Elesian felt her heart sink as she looked at all the students who could do it. Why was she so bad? She looked to see Sillis land softly. She unbuckled and trotted over.

"That was great!" Elesian encouraged. Sillis looked at her.

"You'll get it too, I know you will! You've got a strong will!" she stated. Elesian nodded and continued to watch. She thought if she watched enough people do it she could do it herself. After a long while everyone had their turn. There were several students who didn't do it, many of which thought they never would be able to. Elesian hopes they'd get their confidence back later.

Training continued on with hand-to-hand combat and some shooting practice. Elesian was fairly good at hand-to-hand, but there were still students who were better than her. However she was very good at the shooting, mostly because she had done it often when hunting. But there was still the balance problem. She sat in the dining room beside Sillis and sighed.

"I need to get better at balancing myself or I'll never become a soldier," she muttered. Sillis took a bite of bread and looked at her.

"Like I said, you'll get it eventually. I really believe it, you're good at so many things," she comforted. Elesian looked at her.

"How did you stay up? I mean you were great, being able to balance so quickly," she stated. Sillis smiled.

"I used my arms to counter me weight. Maybe you should try that, center your body as well as you can then use your arms to keep yourself up," she explained. Elesian smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, I'll try that!" she agreed. The two finished eating before returning to their rooms. Elesian walked over to her bed and saw an envelope. She picked it up and found her name on the front. Sillis peered over her shoulder.

"Oh, you got a letter? Who's it from?" she asked. Elesian opened the envelope and smiled.

"It's from Darrin! I guess he sent it before he went out on his mission with the Survey Corps," she chirped. Sillis grinned.

"Who's this Darrin person?" she asked, obviously holding an answer already. Elesian looked at her.

"He's a good friend of mine. I met him before I came here, he's the one who introduced the thought of joining the military," she explained, trying to phrase it without giving away what actually happened. She still couldn't tell people she was outside the walls, so giving information on how they met was also prohibited. Sillis sat down on the bed.

"Well, go on and read it. You can send a response for him to have when he returns," she stated. Elesian nodded and also sat down. She quickly began reading the letter.

Dear Elesian,

How's training going? I heard from Jota that you had some problems with Keith. He's a bit harsh; he was the same way when I was in training. Then again, that wasn't that long ago. I expect you'll do well considering how you fight. When you graduate, will you join the Survey Corps like you planned? I understand if you change your mind as you train, a lot of people do.

Either way, I'll be on a mission for a while so you won't hear from me but I'll try o keep in touch. Let me know how things are going, I wish you the best of luck

-Darrin

"He saw you fight?" Sillis asked. Elesian's heart leapt into her throat and she pulled the letter close.

"Hey, don't read my letter!" she snapped. Darrin was clever with his wording, luckily, but she didn't want to make up a story about how he saw her fight. Of course she couldn't tell Sillis she fought a titan, or multiple at that, but she didn't want to be thought as a rough girl who will pick a fight with anyone. Sillis held up her hands in defence.

"Sorry, I was curious," she apologised. Elesian sighed and loosened up.

"No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you like that," she muttered. Sillis made her way to her bed before removing her jacket.

"Either way, we should get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a big day," she stated. Elesian nodded and removed her jacket too. She took off all the straps and harnesses they wore before kicking off her boots. She looked at the harness and scowled. _I will learn to keep my balance, just you wait._


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Smack! Another face plant. Elesian was growing weary of always landing on her face. She stopped landing on the back of her head, now she just couldn't stop herself from falling forward. Sillis carefully lowered her.

"Maybe we should stop for today," she told her friend. Elesian stood up and shook her head.

"No, I can do this! We try again, I just think I had my left arm out too far," she replied. Sillis sighed and placed her hand on the lever. Elesian looked at her and nodded so she pulled her up. Elesian did as Sillis had told her; Center your body than use your arms as counter balance. She held her arms out just to flip. However Sillis reacted by pulling her up higher so her head wouldn't hit the ground. Elesian looked at Sillis.

"I don't think your head can take any more of this," she murmured. Elesian sighed and Sillis carefully lowered her. She pressed her hands on the ground and rolled onto her back as she was lowered.

"I think you should just give up, obviously have no sense of balance," Someone huffed. Elesian sprung to her feet and glared at the boy that was approaching. He was an arrogant brat; apparently his father was in the Military Police. Thus he thought he was amazing through soldier bloodline. Of course, no one else agreed. He walked with pride, tall and lean. He smoothly brushed back his hair and looked down at Sillis and Elesian with his frisky blue eyes.

"Just stay out of this, Kratos," Elesian hissed. The boy, Kratos, laughed.

"Oh, I am so scared of the girl who can't stay balanced," he sneered. Elesian tried to retain her anger despite wanting to punch that smug face of his. Sillis walked over Elesian and helped her get out of the harnesses.

"Just ignore him, he's trying to get attention," she whispered. Kratos laughed.

"Yeah, like I need _your _attention," he mocked.

"Well no one else seems to give a shit about you," Elesian countered. Kratos gritted his teeth, not amused by the insult. He turned on his heels and stormed away, not wanting to hear any more of it. Elesian sighed.

"Why do I have to become everyone's enemy?" she asked. Sillis smiled.

"Hey, you aren't my enemy, that's a good thing!" she chirped. Elesian couldn't help but smile.

"Come on, let's grab ourselves something to eat!" she exclaimed. Sillis nodded and the two walked towards the mess hall.

The two stuck together all through lunch. Elesian occasionally eyed Kratos who was telling stories about his father to people who didn't appear to be listening. None-the-less he just didn't look like he was going to shut up.

"Someone needs to teach him a lesson," Elesian muttered. Sillis took a bite of bread and looked at him.

"I think it's best to ignore him, he's trying to make people look at him. It's the worst kind of person," Sillis stated. Elesian looked at her.

"The worst?" she asked. Sillis looked at her.

"Okay, maybe not the _worst_ but pretty close," she corrected. Elesian snickered.

"Naw, you're right. I think I'd take a psychopathic murderer over him any day," she teased. Sillis giggled.

"Well then you can deal with that killer on your own," she toyed. Elesian laughed.

"Wow, aren't you a great friend!" she joked. The two laughed happily until they heard a bell. Sillis sprung to her feet.

"We better get back to training," she stated. People began cleaning up and clearing out, but Kratos didn't appear to have eaten so he sat down and quickly downed some food. Sillis looked at Elesian. "You coming?"

"Yeah, I will, I just want to quickly go to the bathroom, go on without me," she replied. Sillis scowled.

"Alright, just don't be late," she concluded before leaving. Elesian waited till everyone left except Kratos. She grabbed a chair and snuck out, closing the door. Kratos sprung to his feet when the door was closed. He rushed over, trying to push it open. Elesian leaned against it so he couldn't open it.

"Hey! Let me out! This isn't cool!" he snapped. Elesian angled the chair under the door knob so it would prevent Kratos from opening the door. She then rushed off to class. Her revenge was now complete.

Sillis was waiting for Elesian who showed up just on time. "Good timing, I was afraid you'd be late. Keith already doesn't like you, I would refrain from giving him more reason to do so," she stated. Elesian smiled.

"Don't worry, I will never be late!" she boasted. She tried not to laugh thinking of how the teacher would react to oh-so-perfect Kratos being late.

The session began of hand-to hand training. Sillis held the fake wooden knife and sighed. "Go easy on me this time," she begged.

"I will, I will, come on!" Elesian encouraged. Sillis charged her just to be quickly thrown down.

"Next time, find a new partner," she moaned as Elesian offered her a hand. She graciously took it and was pulled to her feet.

"Come on, think of it as a way to train you," she smiled. Sillis smiled a bit and looked behind Elesian to see Kratos rushing over. He stopped in front of the teacher panting.

"And where were you?" the teacher asked. Kratos took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry!" he exclaimed with a salute. "Someone trapped me in the mess hall!" Elesian snickered a bit. Kratos looked at her. "She did it! She wouldn't let me out!" he explained pointing at her.

"Who, me? I don't know what you're talking about, I was in the bathroom," Elesian cooed, playing innocent. Kratos stormed over to her.

"You little liar! I saw you do it!" he replied. Elesian grinned.

"Yeah, what proof do you have?" she asked. Kratos grabbed her jacket and lifted her. Elesian reacted by quickly striking under his arm causing him to drop her. She moved back and laughed. "That all?" Kratos ran forward and swung at her. She ducked and he quickly dropped down into a spin kick, knocking her over. Elesian pushed herself out of the way of his drop quick and got to her feet. He ran at her before dropping lower and punching upward, catching Elesian's chin. Elesian winced and grabbed his wrist, flipping him over her shoulder and onto the ground.

"Both of you stop!" Sillis exclaimed. All the soldiers had stopped to watch. Kratos pushed himself up and glared at Elesian. He ran back at her and she side stepped out of the way. He quickly turned and grabbed her hair, pulling her to the ground. Elesian yelped in pain and looked at him. He was about to punch her when the teacher grabbed his fist.

"The only fights we have here are simulated fights. I want both of you to stop this now!" she snapped. Elesian looked away as Kratos pulled back. He walked away and through the crowd of people. The teacher than turned to Elesian. "As for you, is what he said true?"

"He deserved what-"

"Is it true?!" the teacher repeated. Elesian looked up at her than away again.

"Yeah, it's true," she muttered. The teacher was displeased to hear that.

"I want you to stay here after this session is over," she hissed before leaving. Sillis walked over and offered Elesian a hand. Elesian pushed it away and stood up. She didn't like losing to a man like Kratos.

"Elesian-" Elesian held her hand up.

"I don't want to hear you lecture me," she muttered. Sillis looked down and sighed. The two resume training but with an awkward silence looming over them.

Soon the session was over and Elesian stayed behind as everyone left. She waited patiently until someone walked over. She quickly looked up but felt her heart fill her throat. Keith stood in front of her.

"So, you think locking a student in a room so he'll be late is funny?" he muttered. Elesian looked down, wanting to avoid Keith gaze.

"I was just-"

"This is serious!" Keith barked. He grabbed Elesian's head and forced her to look at him. "I don't care what the Survey Corps told you but here you have to take things seriously! There are no school-yard tricks or pranks there is hard work and training! Since you came here you've been making trouble and treating it all like a game!"

"I'm not treating it like a game!" Elesian defended.

"Bullshit! First you refuse to respond in front of a crowd, then you do this. What do you think this is, preschool?!" he questioned.

"No sir, I just-" Keith wasn't letting her speak anymore.

"If you want to be a soldier start acting like one! If you focused more on your balance issue maybe you'd be a better soldier!"

"I am, I-"

"If you can't stay up in that harness you will not graduate! No amount of "I did it before!" will change that! If you don't graduate, you don't make it into the Survey Corps! End of story!" he snapped. He pushed Elesian down before storming away. Elesian just sat their quivering. She was trying her hardest, she really was. She wiped tears from her eyes and looked up at the setting sun. The session ended in time for Dinner, it was several hours long after all. She pushed herself to her feet and started walking back to her lodging.

Sillis stepped out of the mess hall just in time to see Elesian. "Hey, Eles, you coming for dinner?" she asked. She was worried when Elesian didn't respond. Instead she just kept walking towards her lodging. Sillis went back inside hoping Elesian was alright.

It had almost been a week and Elesian knew Keith was right. She couldn't take anything seriously, not completely. She had to joke and giggle about things to get by. She tried to master her Balance, but after most sessions of practice she'd sit with Sillis and laugh about it. Why couldn't she just be like everyone else?

She opened the door and saw something on her bed. She walked over to see a letter. She sat down and opened it, hoping it'd brighten her mood.

Dear Elesian,

Sorry it took so long to get back to you. I'm sure by the time you get this you'll have figured out your balance problem. Not everyone gets it first time around. I'm sure you'll be making lots of friends

Elesian put the letter down, unable to even finish it. Tears swelled in her eyes so she brought her knees up. She hid her face in her legs, unable to stand it. She was a failure of a soldier.

Just then someone knocked. "Elesian?" the voice cooed. Elesian didn't reply, but she knew it was Sillis. The door opened as footsteps approach. "Elesian, you alright?"

"I'm an awful soldier," Elesian murmured. Sillis sat down beside her and hugged her.

"Don't say that, you are a great fighter, plus you're amazing at shooting!" she encouraged.

"Keith said if I can't fix my balance problem I'll never become a soldier," Elesian whimpered. Sillis looked at her.

"You will fix it, you're trying hard!" she added. Elesian looked at her.

"What makes you think I can do it?" she asked, "I might just end up trying and trying and never get it."

"Come on, like they say, practice make perfect!" Elesian looked away. Sillis moved back into her line of sight. "And if it doesn't make perfect, it will at least make you better." Elesian smiled a bit. Sillis smiled wide. "There you go, get some rest and we can try again tomorrow. Okay?" Elesian nodded and stood up, removing her jacket and working to get off her harnesses. Sillis saw the letter and grabbed the Envelope. Elesian didn't seem to notice as she sat down and removed her boots.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow," she murmured lying down on the bed. Sillis went to her bed and pulled out some paper. She placed the envelope beside her and began writing.

Dear Darrin...


End file.
